Planning a party can be lots of fun, but in order to make your child’s day extra special, you’ll need a few creative kid birthday ideas. Birthdays can be broken down into five main categories: theme, location, food, guests, and presents. It’s no secret that children get bored easily. In order to give your child the best birthday ever, you’ll need to consider fun kid birthday ideas in each of these categories. Fortunately, if you stay organized, this isn’t as hard as you think.

Theme

Kids jump from liking one thing to liking something else in the blink of an eye. A few weeks before the birthday party, Spiderman might be all the rage, but the day of your party, your son might exclaim that he likes X-Men better. Themes are great, but choose wisely—very wisely.

Instead of using a specific cartoon charter or TV show, try a more general party idea theme. Go with something that your child has always loved like trucks or Barbies. You can also try exciting and adventurous themes that all kids seem to love. A few ideas include the beach, pirates, circus, zoo, and princesses. If your child is old enough to talk, he or she is old enough to have a say in the party theme choice, so don’t forget to simply ask your son or daughter what he or she wants.

Once you’ve chosen a theme, start brainstorming party activities. For example, one classic party idea is to have a treasure hunt which works well for a pirate theme. If you choose a zoo theme, hire a travelling petting zoo to attend your party.

Who doesn’t like pony rides?. If you’ve chosen a princess theme, invite your daughter’s guests to dress like their favorite princesses and princes and make royal crowns. Decorations, the cake, and the party favors should work with your theme.

Location

This sounds simple, right? Of course, the party can be in your home. However, don’t get stuck in the mindset that your backyard is the best place for a birthday bash. How large is your home compared to your guest list? Do you have pets? Are there safety concerns for other small children? Renting a local hall or room might be a better idea if your tiny living space won’t easily accommodate many people of all age groups. Perhaps a friend might be willing to host the party. Fast food restaurants also host birthday parties.

You can also consider a local day trip instead of a traditional birthday party, or in addition to the typical cake and ice cream. Choose somewhere special your child will love, but also remember that you’ll potentially have a number of children in tow. You may want to consider enlisting the help of other parents or even hiring some teen friends or family members as chaperones. Great places to take your kids for a birthday party include the pool or beach, an amusement park, a sports event, or miniature golfing. Consider your child’s age and his or her particular interests.

Food

It’s not a birthday party without cake! However, you’ll have some sour guests if all you serve is a cake—you’ll need to think about other party foods as well. The cake and ice cream are definitely important, but try to please all your guests.

Start with the snack foods your child requests and expand that list.

You can, of course, provide a full meal at your birthday party. One great kid birthday idea is to invite a number of child guests, but have parents stay for the meal as well. This is a great party idea because it allows you to have fun, but without being overwhelmed by the number of children running around. What should you serve? Think quick, easy, and buffet. Items like bar-b-qued hamburgers are a great idea. Convince dad to stick around for the party. Or you can order basic party platters from your local deli or sandwich shop. Of course, pizza is always a crowd pleaser as well!

When it comes to the snacks, traditional usually works best. Kids are picky eaters, so now is not the time to try out new recipes. If the party will be large, consider purchasing a smaller cake decorated for your party, and then bake cup cakes yourself to make up enough servings for everyone. This will keep costs lower, and if there are cup cakes left over, you can easily send them home with guests so that you and your family don’t suffer from sugar highs for the next few days.

When it comes to the cake itself, talk to your child about what he or she wants. Even the youngest birthday girls and boys can choose between chocolate cake and white cake! Older children might choose more “refined” flavors, like carrot cake or marbled cake. Ice cream cake works too! As far as icing is concerned, if you plan to buy your cake, visit the bakery with your child instead of calling in the order.

Bakeries often allow you to choose white, butter cream, chocolate, or other kinds of icings. If you go to the bakery your child might get to taste test and choose his or her favourite which can be lots of fun!

Guests

Who to invite to your child’s birthday party can be determined by how old your child will be. For a toddler, two or three preschool or neighborhood friends are more than plenty along with family members. Never invite more children than you can watch safely. Once your child enters school, however, he or she may wish to invite the whole class or all of the girls/boys in the class. Whether you agree to this is up to you. If the thought of tweny 8-year-olds tearing through your house makes you sick to your stomach, then offer your child a compromise. Instead, set a large party play date in the park with other parents and then allow only one or two of your child’s closest friends to return home with you for cake and a sleepover.

Don’t forget you’ll need to send out invitations. It’s a good idea to send out the invitations to guests about two weeks in advance. Call the guests who have not replied so you know how much food to prepare. You can make your own invitations on your computer. Getting your child involved in making the invitations can really make it special. Many websites have free coloring pages where you can write your party information on the back and your child can color the front. Of course, you can always purchase invitations.

Presents

Every child no matter how humble loves opening presents. If you schedule a time at the party for presents, make a note on the invitation. However, if you invite the entire class to your home, presents may not be necessary. Be sure to say so on the invitation. Also be prepared to field questions from other parents as to your child’s likes and dislikes about gifts.

For your own gift to your child, you may feel like the money you spend on the birthday party is enough. However, a young child won’t see things that way. They think, “The party is for me, but where’s my real present? Make sure that you budget for both the party and gifts. Some great kid birthday ideas for presents include tickets to a fun event, toys they’ve mentioned they wanted, fun items for their room, and even money. Remember, teach your child to say thank you and be graceful even when the receive that ugly sweater from grandma. Take some time to talk to your child about what he or she wants for their party theme, location, food, guests, and presents. Your child’s birthday party will be a smashing success.

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